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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22963528">Soft and Soapy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RefrainGirl/pseuds/RefrainGirl'>RefrainGirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman &amp; Terry Pratchett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale and Crowley Live Together (Good Omens), Aziraphale and Crowley in Love (Good Omens), Bathing/Washing, Bubble Bath, Caring Aziraphale (Good Omens), Cold Weather, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), Domestic Fluff, Don't copy to another site, Fluff without Plot, Gift Fic, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), M/M, Married Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), No Plot/Plotless, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post-Almost Apocalypse (Good Omens), Soft Crowley (Good Omens), South Downs Cottage (Good Omens)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:13:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,647</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22963528</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RefrainGirl/pseuds/RefrainGirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“Can we skip to the part where I curl up next to the fireplace and fall asleep? It’d be nice to shed these layers so I can recuperate from the fatigue my tiresome good deeds caused.”</em>
  <br/>
  <em>At that request, Aziraphale placed his hands on his hips, looking for all the world like Peter Pan after facing down Captain Hook. “Actually, I’ve prepared something far more pleasing than that.”</em>
  <br/>
  <em>His statement peaked Crowley’s interest. “Oh really?” he drawled, tilting his head with seductive grace and a smirk to match. “What could be more pleasing, I wonder?”</em>
  <br/>
  <em>“Allow me to show you, my dear boy.”</em>
</p><p>Crowley has spent his entire day out in the freezing cold, and now that they live together Aziraphale can take care of him in the most considerate of ways.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>235</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Soft and Soapy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miele_Petite/gifts">Miele_Petite</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22090516">All of my #ineffableholiday work in one place!</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miele_Petite/pseuds/Miele_Petite">Miele_Petite</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was written as a gift to @mielpetite, to thank them for putting on such a wonderful Ineffable Valentines event that I had the best time participating in! I've based this story on one of their absolutely beautiful art pieces, and if you haven't seen their art yet may I direct you to their <a href="https://mielpetite.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>?</p><p>The art that inspired this fic can be found <a href="https://mielpetite.tumblr.com/post/189626103272/todays-ineffableholiday-prompt-was-candles">here</a>! This is where I first saw it, at least. You can find it on their AO3 as well, the link is featured above! They also write amazing fics, so please go visit them if you have a chance!</p><p>I hope you enjoy my shameless fluff, and thank you again!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tires crunched on the frozen snow, prompting Aziraphale to lift his gaze to the window to see who had come calling. It wasn’t necessary, mostly done out of habit, and the angel relaxed instantly once he recognized the rumble of the engine for what it was.</p><p>He had taken to listening to cars in passing long ago - when they had first moved out to the cottage in fact - so that he could discern who from the village was coming to visit. It wouldn’t do to be unprepared for any possible scenario that could involve wine, snacks or even the off chance of dinner preparations and extra placements at the table, now, would it? They did have friends, both old and new, that enjoyed coming over to chat, after all. Keeping up with the state of everyone’s affairs was something that Aziraphale had actually grown quite fond of over their years spent in the South Downs. The close knit group of friends that they had come to care for were gradually beginning to spread apart now that Armageddidn’t had passed, and he wanted to stay in touch with them as often as he could. That desire had led to them housing many different guests at many different times, often experiencing the surprise of a few unexpected drop-ins, and though Crowley had always acted like it was such a nuisance to have their space intruded upon, it was never a very good one. Everyone present could tell that he liked seeing them again, whether he was frowning or scoffing or doling out an obligatory handshake that Aziraphale had asked him to give.</p><p>It had taken some doing but after a while he had learned to distinguish between each of their friends’ and neighbors’ cars, from the puttering of the exhaust to the screech of the brakes. He liked to think that his skills had become more than reliable in that regard. He hardly needed to glance up from his book whenever a guest arrived, merely stating their name and that Crowley should answer the door before they catch cold. And he was always right in his assumptions, to the point where the demon didn’t even blink twice as he ushered their visitors into the house. But out of all the sounds he had heard come from various cars over the years, no other vehicle purred quite as smoothly as his husband’s Bentley.</p><p>The engine puttered for a moment before huffing into silence, and there was a softer slam of the driver’s door than usual. Crowley was usually quite reverent towards his car, but this was a new level of gentleness that Aziraphale wasn’t used to hearing. If he didn’t know better, it sounded like a weakness of sorts. An exhaustion that was only just managing to be fought off. Furrowing his brows, he rose from his armchair and stepped towards the window, his book snapping shut as he peered outside.</p><p>Winter was always a draining time of year for Crowley, but he looked even more worn down than usual. His nose was peeking over the edge of his blue and black striped scarf, looking cherry red and sensitive, and he lifted a hand to push his glasses onto his forehead, rubbing tiredly at his eyes with a sigh that released a large cloud of fog in front of him. There was no skip to his step, and his usual saunter was looser than Aziraphale had ever seen it. He looked like he was about to collapse in on himself at any given second.</p><p>Just as he was about to run to the door and fling it wide to demand if Crowley was alright, and probably rush out without donning the proper garb to assist him if he needed it, those golden eyes caught his. They were filled with pure weariness, but upon seeing Aziraphale they instantly brightened, shimmering with a kind of happy relief that made the angel remember exactly how lucky he was in life to call this demon his.</p><p>“Hey angel!” Crowley called, waving a thickly mittened hand in his direction. Aziraphale was graced with the beauty of a contented smile, freed at last from the confines of a heavily frosted scarf. “Couldn’t wait till I got back, could ya?”</p><p>“Obviously not,” he replied, chuckling as he pointed towards the door. In a moment he was opening it, and Crowley was standing there with a grin on his face and a shiver in his bones. “Why don’t you step inside, dearest? You must be suffering so much in this cold.”</p><p>“I do feel a bit c-c-c-c… Yeah, I am. Brrrrr…”</p><p>As soon as the door was shut, Aziraphale tugged him close against his chest, rubbing at the sleeves of his jacket in long, fast strokes. “Does that help?” he asked, but he needn’t have. Crowley was rocking on his feet, leaning into the touch and sighing in obvious delight, so the angel continued his motions with a kind smile. “Good. Now then, mind explaining why you looked so distraught? Long day?”</p><p>“You could say that.”</p><p>Eventually Crowley stopped shivering, opting to bring himself closer to the proffered body heat of his husband instead. His nose nuzzled briefly against Aziraphale’s neck before the contact made him abruptly jerk away. “My word! Am I being prodded by the tip of an icicle? That can’t possibly be the state this weather has left your poor nose in!”</p><p>“Like I said, angel, it’s been a long day, so c’mon!” He gazed imploringly down at Aziraphale. “Lemme snuggle you a bit! Please?”</p><p>Normally Crowley was not one to ask for much, and Aziraphale didn’t possess the hardness of heart to deny him something so simple as shared warmth. After a moment, he let out a huff of resignation. “Oh, alright. Just do it slowly, please.”</p><p>Crowley’s grin softened. “Thanks.”</p><p>The arms he had been massaging moved to encircle his hips, and Aziraphale stiffened as the demon gradually pressed his face into the side of his neck with a relieved hum. It was like pressing a sheet of ice against his skin, and it was hard not to flinch away from that level of chill. “Damn, that’s nice,” he breathed, smiling in approval as the angel moved his arms across his back to pull him even closer. “Haven’t been warm all day long. Fuck this weather.”</p><p>“Crowley…”</p><p>Aziraphale could practically hear him rolling his eyes. “I know, language. Hard not to cuss when it’s that fucking awful out there.”</p><p>Deciding to ignore that barb for the moment, Aziraphale sighed. “The temperatures have been fluctuating rather unpredictably of late.”</p><p>“Not only that, but it’s been snowing way too much for my liking. This one family’s car got stuck in a huge snowbank today, and they didn’t have a way of digging themselves out. They were gonna be sitting there all day long if I didn’t stop to help ‘em, and let me tell you, it took <em>forever</em>! I wanted to use a miracle so bad, but they would’ve got suspicious if I just melted all that snow and walked off. I ended up miracling myself a shovel instead, and it was gruelling, and terrible, and I hated every second of - ”</p><p>The angel interrupted the incoming tirade by pressing a soft kiss to Crowley’s hair. “Dearest, you are so kind,” he said.</p><p>Crowley snorted at the remark, but Aziraphale’s smile never dimmed. “Being nice is inconvenient,” he grumbled in response. “My arms hurt, I can’t feel my fingers <em>or</em> my nose… Well, I can feel it now, ‘course, but before I couldn’t…”</p><p>“I bet that family was immensely grateful to you for staying to help them, Crowley.” Gently he grabbed his husband’s shoulders and moved him out to arm’s length, beaming proudly at him. “You’re amazing, but that isn’t a new revelation. I’ve known for ages how wonderful you are.”</p><p>Crowley’s cheeks were reddening anew, but it wasn’t because of the cold this time. He glanced up at the roof with a frown. “Ugh. ’M not either of those things.”</p><p>“Don’t argue, my dear. It’s true, and the sooner you accept it the better off you will be.”</p><p>“I just happened to be driving by, angel,” he said, exasperated. “It’s not a big deal, honestly. Dunno why you always get like this whenever I do something.”</p><p>“What you did may have saved lives, dear. Who can say how long those humans might have sat in this terrible wintry weather, waiting for someone to come along? You never could turn a blind eye when people are in trouble, and I respect you all the more for it.”</p><p>He grunted, no proper words coming forth in the wake of his new blush, and Aziraphale took a minute to adjust the crooked collar of Crowley’s jacket, also deciding that his scarf needed fixing though he left that alone to focus more fully on his hair. He reached up to carefully comb his fingers through it as he spoke. “I can’t think of a better reason to turn yourself into so thorough of a demonsicle than for the sake of humanity’s preservation.”</p><p>“Wish I could have a word with those bastards Upstairs,” he muttered, giving the angel a resigned scowl as he tried to get rid of some unwanted knots. “It’d be great if I could get ‘em to fuck off with all this below freezing bullshit.”</p><p>“I must say I approve of that idea, but I doubt they would listen even if you could figure out a way, love. Gabriel rarely listened to me, even when I was a part of Heaven, and God, well… She doesn’t converse with much of anyone these days.”</p><p>“You don’t need to tell me that,” he sighed, sparing a quick glance up and beyond before shaking it off. “Can we skip to the part where I curl up next to the fireplace and fall asleep? It’d be nice to shed these layers so I can recuperate from the fatigue my tiresome good deeds caused.”</p><p>At that request, Aziraphale placed his hands on his hips, looking for all the world like Peter Pan after facing down Captain Hook. “Actually, I’ve prepared something far more pleasing than that.”</p><p>His statement peaked Crowley’s interest. “Oh really?” he drawled, tilting his head with seductive grace and a smirk to match. “What could be more pleasing, I wonder?”</p><p>“Allow me to show you, my dear boy.”</p><p>Aziraphale reached for Crowley’s hand, pulling him gently up the stairwell and down the hallway towards their bedroom. He followed along with no resistance, excitement marking his features, and the angel turned forward with a grin of his own plastered on his face. It was smart of him to have the forethought to prepare such a treat for Crowley. He had known that it would be cold out, and this was sure to warm his demon up quite nicely.</p><p>“I think I’ve already figured out the plan,” he said with a chuckle. “D’you want me to step out of my clothes now, or…?”</p><p>“Oh, we don’t need to rush things, dear. You’re frozen stiff, and I doubt that shedding your attire early will be doing you any favors.”</p><p>“You just want the chance to watch me strip, don’t you?”</p><p>The angel’s cheeks brightened right up at the thought, but he didn’t stop smiling. Mostly because Crowley wasn’t wrong. “You’re going to either way, so why waste an opportunity when it presents itself?”</p><p>A strangled groan of appreciation reached his ears from somewhere behind him. ”I love you so much,” Crowley rasped, the words wringing every single drop of it from his very core. “Somebody’s sake Aziraphale, I fucking love you.”</p><p>“I know,” he replied, feeling the glow of those words from deep inside himself. He tossed a warm grin over his shoulder, right into the swooning face of his adoring husband. “I love you too, Crowley.”</p><p>“Ngk.”</p><p>He had predicted that he might hear such an answer to his sentiments (Crowley said ‘I love you’ to him a thousand times a day, but he still couldn’t quite handle it when Aziraphale told him the same thing), and with another loving squeeze to the sweaty hand curling inside his own, he led his husband further down the hall. They were almost at the bedroom door when Crowley’s breathing started to turn heavy and thick. The pulse thrumming through his veins picked up significantly, and the angel could feel the skin of his hand warming under his touch.</p><p>He must be brimming with exhilaration at the prospect of what was to come, and realizing that made Aziraphale feel even more pleased that he had come up with this brilliant idea.</p><p>However, when he made an abrupt left turn towards the bathroom, he could feel Crowley heading in the opposite direction. A soft tug helped him stagger into proper step again behind Aziraphale, and the demon blinked in confusion. “Uh.” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, back towards where he thought they should be heading. “You need to wash up before we…?”</p><p>He had let go of Crowley’s hand once they were in the bathroom, and Aziraphale shone with the golden radiance of an overjoyed angel as he drew back the shower curtain. “Voila!” he exclaimed, finally revealing his surprise to an even more surprised husband. Hot water sloshed invitingly inside their porcelain bathtub, hidden underneath an overabundance of bubbles that made the surface look like a cloud had touched down on top of it. The barely detectable scent of lavender floated on the air, and Aziraphale clasped his hands behind his back as he beamed over at Crowley, awaiting his reaction. “I took the trouble to make this up for you when you texted that you were on your way home. The water has cooled a bit, but I’ll leave it to you to add what you think will make it perfect.”</p><p>Crowley stared for a moment, looking overwhelmed in more ways than just one. “So that’s what you meant by… Ah.” His shock soon melted into a kind of tender amusement, teasing a round of soft laughter out of him that the angel was rather perplexed by. “Should’ve known that this was your big plan.”</p><p>He blinked, furrowing his brow in a way that he hoped would earn him an answer to his next question. “What else did you think I had planned?”</p><p>But Crowley wasn’t rising to take the bait, not this time. “Nothing, angel, ‘s nothing,” he reassured him, stepping over to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for setting this up for me.”</p><p>Aziraphale nodded, smiling. “Of course. It’s the least I can do for my husband when he’s gotten so horribly cold.” He reached for Crowley’s coat, gesturing with a polite clearing of the throat. “May I?”</p><p>He lifted his arms with a warm smile that mirrored the angel’s. “Absolutely.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Fighting the urge to doze off in the tub, and losing that battle horribly, Crowley let out a massive yawn. The good news was that he was starting to be able to feel his fingers again, and the better news was that Aziraphale’s hands had been rubbing at him for so long that his tingling body felt like there were hands scrubbing at him everywhere. He hadn’t been this at ease in a very long time. After centuries of fire and brimstone, filthy walls and leaks in the piping and everything else that had happened Downstairs, this was like wrapping himself up in a soft down blanket that used to belong to someone else, but now it was all his. The angel stopped to scrub at his back with a wet sponge, and it took all the effort he could muster just to stay awake. The caked-on grime of bygone eras was coming away like so many chips of old paint, and it felt <em>amazing</em>.</p><p>Which hadn’t gone unnoticed, by the way. “Dearest, you shouldn’t fall asleep in the tub. Remember last time?”</p><p>“Mm-hmm,” he muttered, eyelids fluttering half-closed. He wasn’t about to sink under and cough a bucketful of water out of his lungs again. That hadn’t been fun, and Aziraphale had tutted at him as he miracled the mess away. He didn’t want to encourage another tut. Those belonged in other people’s ears, not Crowley’s. “I won’t. Promise.”</p><p>Gentle lavender bubbles washed along his chest, and his eyes drooped even more. “Not gonna. Nope.”</p><p>Aziraphale simply smiled down at him. “I don’t think I believe you this time,” he said, leaning down to place a tender kiss on the tip of a nose that was recovering nicely from its stint in the cold. “You look absolutely languid, and I’m afraid it’s all my fault.”</p><p>“Mm. Yep, your fault,” he echoed, slipping further under the water to blow a few bubbles into the bathwater.</p><p>“Let me finish your back, my dear. Then we can haul you out of this bathtub and dry you off, and <em>then</em> you may go to sleep.”</p><p>Crowley frowned but his mouth didn’t surface. He simply shook his head in a defiant no.</p><p>“You don’t want to get out?”</p><p>Again, another hard shake.</p><p>“Is it because you’re nice and warm in there?”</p><p>Crowley nodded, blowing a couple more bubbles for good measure.</p><p>“Well then, since we are obviously going to be here for awhile yet…” He gestured towards auburn hair that was yet to be touched by soap. “I could wash your hair for you, if you like?”</p><p>The idea made Crowley let out a pleasant hum. He lifted his head up to blink sleepily at the angel. “You’d do that?”</p><p>”Certainly. I know how much you enjoy it.”</p><p>He did like the feeling of those strong, sturdy hands massaging at his scalp, smoothing shampoo and conditioner lovingly through each strand. It was relaxing, calming, and now that he had brought it up that was all Crowley could think about. Smiling his consent, he forced himself to sit up straighter. “Have at me, then. I’m all yours.”</p><p>“Alright. What kind of shampoo does my husband want tonight, hm?”</p><p>Crowley closed his eyes, thought on it for a moment, and eventually settled on nothing in particular. Making decisions based on his wants was still a bit of a challenge for him, even something as simple as this. “Dunno,” he mumbled, slipping a hand out of the water to run it tenderly over Aziraphale’s. “You pick.”</p><p>The angel’s thumb stroked the side of his palm. “If you’re sure you don’t mind.”</p><p>”I don’t. Whatever you like ‘s fine with me, angel.”</p><p>The bright, fruity scent of kiwi and pomegranate drifted in the air alongside the lavender of the bubblebath, and Crowley sighed as those fingers made contact with his hair at last. Firmly yet gingerly, they scrubbed at his head until all he could smell was the refreshing mixture of fruits, lavender and his angel. It was intoxicating, and he could feel his bones gradually turning to paste from the raw pleasure of everything that was Aziraphale. His back began to slide further down into the tub until his nose was barely being held above water. His eyes drifted shut.</p><p>“What did I tell you, Crowley?”</p><p>Aziraphale sounded like he was scolding, but the demon could hear the smile in his voice as he reached down to carefully lift him up into a sitting position again. After a blissful moment of feeling those hands gripping him, Crowley opened one eye a crack.</p><p>“What <em>did</em> you tell me?” he repeated, having genuinely forgotten during the process of nearly falling asleep.</p><p>“I knew you would start to doze as soon as I touched your hair. Dearest, I can’t wash the conditioner out if you don’t stay awake long enough to let me.”</p><p>He smiled, a funny half-tilted thing that made Aziraphale stare so endearingly at him that his heart contracted in his chest. “Can’t help that you’ve got the touch of a bloody angel.”</p><p>Those blue eyes smiled back at him, and Aziraphale leaned forwards, placing a warm kiss to his forehead. He was forever tempted to kiss Crowley for some reason, whether it was his lips, cheek, or whatever spot he could reach; and that was one temptation that he was fairly sure he had no hand in. He wasn’t even aware that he was putting it out there.</p><p>Not that he was complaining about the results.</p><p>“What an excuse if ever I’ve heard one,” the angel mumbled, despite his obvious joy over the compliment. “Now, can I finish my work, or are there to be more excuses preventing me from getting you out of this bath?”</p><p>“Nuh. You may continue, angel.”</p><p>He smirked down at him in wry amusement. “Why, thank you for giving me permission, dearest.”</p><p>“Wait, wait. Hold on.” Crowley held up a finger, shaking it teasingly. “You may continue as long as you give me another kiss. On the cheek.”</p><p>“Oh really? I suppose I must get that out of the way, then.” But despite his tone, Aziraphale was smiling as he hovered over the bubbles to lock lips with his husband. “I trust this was good enough for me to carry on with my duties?”</p><p>“Mm. Beyond good, angel. That was - dare I say it - divine.”</p><p>And although he had promised to remain conscious for the rest of the bath, when Crowley next awoke he found himself tucked into their bed, wearing his favorite black silk pajamas with a warm, soft angel pressed against his side. The quiet sound of raindrops spattered against the roof while Aziraphale ran his hand through Crowley’s clean hair, casually reading a book that had been sitting unfinished on the nightstand.</p><p>Beauty. Perfection.</p><p>Honestly, there wasn’t anywhere else he would rather be, no other moment he would rather share than the simplest one with his husband.</p><p>Closing his eyes once more, Crowley drifted off.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come and say hi on Tumblr!</p><p>You can find me at my main blog <a href="https://refraingirl.tumblr.com/">@refraingirl</a> or at my writing blog <a href="https://refraingirl-the-writer.tumblr.com/">@refraingirl-the-writer</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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